describing medical treatment generally

medicine

medi‧cine S2 W3 /ˈmedsən $ ˈmedəsən/ noun
  [Word Family: noun: medical, medication, medicine, medic; adjective: medical, medicated, medicinal; adverb: medically, medicinally]
 [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin medicina, from medicus; ⇨ medical]
 1. [uncountable and countable] a substance used for treating illness, especially a liquid you drink:
   • Medicines should be kept out of the reach of children.
   • Have you been taking your medicine?
   • a medicine bottle
  medicine chest/cabinet (=for keeping medicine in)
   ► Do not say that you ‘drink medicine’. Say that you take medicine.
 2. [uncountable] the treatment and study of illnesses and injuries:
   • She studied medicine at Johns Hopkins University.
   • the remarkable achievements of modern medicine
 3. the best medicine the best way of making you feel better when you are sad:
   • Laughter is the best medicine.
 4. give somebody a dose/taste of their own medicine to treat someone as badly as they have treated you
 5. take your medicine (like a man) to accept an unpleasant situation or a punishment that you deserve, without complaining
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COLLOCATIONS(for Meaning 2)■ adjectives

   ▪ modern medicine (=medicine based on science) • Thanks to modern medicine, these babies will survive.
   ▪ conventional/orthodox medicine (=ordinary modern medicine) • Some sufferers reject conventional medicine.
   ▪ Western medicine (=conventional medicine as developed in Western countries) • the scientific basis of Western medicine
   ▪ traditional medicine (=medical treatments that were used before modern medicine) • The plant was used in traditional medicine for the treatment of stomach problems.
   ▪ alternative/complementary medicine (=medical treatments that are not part of modern medicine) • Various types of alternative medicine, particularly acupuncture, can give pain relief.
   ▪ herbal medicine (=medical treatments that use herbs) • In ancient China, herbal medicine was often used with acupuncture.
   ▪ holistic medicine (=medical treatment of a whole person, not just a particular illness) • One principle of holistic medicine is that each person is unique.
   ▪ folk medicine (=medical treatments that were used by ordinary people, especially in the past) • Researchers are looking at plants that are commonly used in folk medicine.
   ▪ Chinese medicine (=medical treatments that are traditional in China, for example using herbs and acupuncture) • Acupuncture is part of traditional Chinese medicine.
   ▪ geriatric/veterinary/tropical etc medicine (=medical study relating to specific groups or types of illness) • Advances have been made in veterinary medicine, so that our pets are living longer, healthier lives.
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THESAURUS

   ▪ medicine noun [uncountable and countable] a substance used for treating illness: • Certain medicines should not be taken with alcohol. | • Has he taken his medicine?
   ▪ pill noun [countable] a small piece of medicine that you swallow: • She managed to swallow the pill with a sip of water. | • The doctor gave him some pills. | • sleeping pills | • diet pills | • contraceptive pills
   ▪ tablet noun [countable] especially British English a small piece of solid medicine: • She's now on four tablets a day. | • a five-day course of tablets | • sleeping tablets | • anti-malaria tablets
   ▪ antibiotics/aspirin/codeine etc: • The doctor put him on a course of antibiotics. | • Why don’t you take some aspirin? | • The tablets contain codeine, which is unsuitable for people with asthma.
   ▪ capsule noun [countable] a small tube-shaped container with medicine inside that you swallow whole: • a bottle of 500 capsules of vitamin C | • I advised her to take four to six garlic capsules a day for the duration of the treatment.
   ▪ caplet noun [countable] a small smooth pill that is slightly longer than it is wide - used especially on bottles and containers: • In small type, the consumer is warned not to take more than one caplet per day.
   ▪ eye/ear drops liquid medicine that you put into your eye or ear: • Remember — if you 're using eye drops for your hay fever, leave your contact lenses out.
   ▪ cream noun [uncountable and countable] especially British English (also lotion especially American English) a thick smooth substance containing medicine, that you put on your skin: • an antibiotic cream | • antiseptic cream | • skin cream
   ▪ drug noun [countable] a medicine or a substance for making medicines: • a drug used to treat malaria | • There are a wide range of different drugs on the market.
   ▪ dosage noun [countable usually singular] the amount of medicine that you should take at one time: • The dosage should be reduced to 0.5 mg. | • It’s important to get the dosage right.
   ▪ medication noun [uncountable and countable] medicine or drugs given to someone who is ill: • He takes medication for his diabetes. | • She’s on medication (=taking medication), having suffered from depression for a number of years.